The field of the present invention is ramps and handles for ramps.
Ramps, such as walk ramps are often provided for loading and unloading vehicles, e.g., trucks, boats and aircraft. In addition, ramps may be used in fixed locations, such as in a warehouse. In many applications, and especially in vehicles, the ramp is withdrawn from a stored position by hand for loading and unloading. Consequently, the lower end of the ramp may be dropped to the ground as the ramp is withdrawn. Accordingly, the end of the ramp, and especially handles provided thereon to facilitate handling of the ramp, are subject to damage by high impact forces.
Previously, such ramp handles have typically been aluminum castings. While these cast handles may have performed satisfactorily, the cast aluminum material can be relatively brittle and vulnerable to cracking when the ramps are dropped.